Ibrahim Bey

Ibrahim Bey (1735-1817), born Abram Sinjikashvili, was the regent of Egypt under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. A general of the Mamelukes, Ibrahim Bey was defeated by the French in the Battle of the Pyramids on 21 July 1798.

Biography
Abram Sinjikashvili was born in Martqopi in Circassia (present-day Georgia) of Circassian origin. He was captured in a slave raid by the Ottoman Empire and sold into slavery, and was converted to Islam and trained as a Mameluke. Through loyal service to the Mameluke leaders of Egypt, he rose in rank and became a general.

Ibrahim Bey and Murad Bey formed a du-umvirate and ruled Egypt jointly, and although the Ottoman Empire reconquered Egypt in 1796, in 1792 the Ottomans were expelled once more. The two also fought France's general Napoleon Bonaparte, who invaded Egypt in early July 1798 and defeated them at the Battle of the Pyramids. Murad Bey died in later July 1798 in the Siege of Mahalla al-Kubra, so Ibrahim Bey was the de facto leader of Egypt. He fought against the French, and although the French were able to conquer most of the northern parts of the country, Ibrahim Bey was able to rule over much of southern Egypt.

Ibrahim survived the 1811 massacre of the Mamelukes by Muhammad Ali, who modernized Egypt and took over the Khedivate of Egypt as his own country. Ibrahim lived in obscurity until his death.